Floyd County Cattlemen crown new queen and distribute scholarships at annual dinner

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

Prime rib and premium goods were on the menu as the Floyd County Cattlemen held their annual fundraiser dinner on Saturday, March 22.

Increasing their numbers from last year, a big crowd came out to the Floyd County Fairgrounds to enjoy a locally sourced prime rib dinner served by Flyin’ Bull BBQ of Rockford.

“We’re expecting about 350 people tonight,” said Cattlemen President Matt Hoeft as people filled in during the pre-dinner social hour. “We’re really excited.”

While attendees mingled they also got a chance to browse the wide selection of auction items available to bid on for the fundraiser.

“We’ve got everything from prints to pies and ice cream,” said Hoeft about the selection of donated auction items. “A little bit of everything.”

Featuring both a silent and live auction, the annual fundraiser generates money that supports the Cattlemen’s youth programs, from scholarship awards to improvements on the fairground buildings.

Children of Cattlemen members are eligible for up to two years of scholarships that can be used to go toward higher education or, in the case of those jumping directly into the workforce, grants to go toward expenses like tools.

This year’s 12 scholarship recipients are Mia Anderson, Wyatt Anderson, Chett Brunner, Dillon Dight, Aubrey Hoeft, Blake Hoeft, Khloe Kruger, Zari McDonough, Luke Paplow, Taylor Quade, Jackson Ruzicka and Emma Wedeking.

The evening also featured the crowning of the 2025 Beef Queen, with previous queen Taylor Quade passing on her crown to Mia Anderson.